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Anti-immigration campaigners in Gullberg in southern Sweden are plotting to build a pig farm next to an asylum centre in a last-ditch effort to deter would-be Muslim immigrants, who might find the animals offensive.

Plans for a new immigration centre in Gullberg have already been strongly opposed by local residents and on Wednesday it was reported that a group of campaigners had sent a letter to the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) pledging to breed pigs nearby in order to deter Muslims from seeking asylum in the town.

The note, signed by what described itself as the "interest group for Gullberg's survival" said that it was trying to create a "probably impossible situation for some religious people, especially Muslims", according to Sveriges Radio.

Local politician Henry Sandahl from Sweden's Countryside Party (Markbygdspartiet) told the broadcaster that he agreed with the sentiment of the letter.

"You know that Muslims are not friends with pigs," he said.

But Swedish religious experts have been quick to criticize the campaigners.

"This is nonsense and shows just how very little they know about Islam," said Åke Sander, Professor of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.

"It is one thing when Muslims try to stay away from pork, alcohol or gambling but there is nothing [in the Koran] that says you cannot be near pigs. This is a last-ditch effort when they [the campaigners] have no arguments left," he told the TT news agency.

Others turned to social media to voice their disgust at the campaign.

Carl Göransson, a lawyer and former Moderate party politician suggested on Twitter that building "a gigantic rubbish dump" next to the asylum centre instead, designed to blow smelly winds in the direction of the angry residents.

"Monstrous" and a "total fail", wrote Johan Arenius, a political press secretary for the Christian Democrat party based in Örebro in central Sweden.

Sweden became the first European country in 2013 to grant automatic residency to Syrian refugees and has since seen asylum requests rise to record levels, which are still expected to reach about 90,000 in 2015.

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